Jim Geraghty of National Review with Chad Benson, filling in for Greg Corombos of Radio America. In advance of the Q3 estimate, GDP appears to have hit the 3% mark. Jim and Chad discuss what this means for the average American. Next, Megan McArdle makes the case that expanding school choice has only generating minor improvement in the country’s education system. Finally, the Trump presidency may have the unfortunate side effect of encouraging reality stars with no experience in government to run for the top office.

Catalina Serrano is a Colombian and the wife of Andrés Felipe Arias, a minister in the cabinet of President Álvaro Uribe. Arias was, in fact, Uribe’s chosen successor. But Arias was railroaded in the Colombian judicial system. His case is positively Kafkaesque. With his family, he fled to the United States to seek political asylum. He is now in federal detention, scheduled to be extradited.

David French of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America applaud former NPR CEO Ken Stern for taking the time to meet voters in red states and realizing they are nothing like the caricature offered by the mainstream media. They’re also exasperated as President Trump and Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker resume their public feud and accomplish nothing other than choke momentum for tax reform and tax cuts. And they react with disgust to a University of Illinois professor who argues that proficiency in algebra and geometry perpetuates unearned white privilege and that “mathematics itself operates as Whiteness.”

In a 10-minute conversation with The Bookmonger, Scalia describes assembling this book from his father’s papers, how the elder Scalia learned to write so well and on so many topics (from the value of the arts to the wonders of turkey hunting), and on his surprising friendship with fellow Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are glad to see the NFL concluding that the national anthem protests need to move to an actual effort to improve community-police relations and that the players ought to stand. They also slam Twitter for the second time this week, this time for suspending the Twitter account of actress Rose McGowan, who was assaulted by Harvey Weinstein and has called out actor Ben Affleck for not admitting he knew of Weinstein’s past. And they shake their heads as Fox News host Sean Hannity hammers Sen. Ben Sasse for being critical of President Trump’s call for licenses of media outlets to be challenged over “fake news.”

The intro/outro song and Stephen’s song of the week is “You’re Dreaming” by Wolf Parade and Jon’s is “Afterlife” by Public Memory. To listen to all the music featured on The Conservatarians, subscribe to our Spotify playlist.

Welcome to the Harvard Lunch Club Podcast for October 11, 2017 it’s the Bannon’s War edition of the podcast with your hosts: Hartford CT talk show host Todd Feinburg and nanophysicist Mike Stopa. This week, we follow the erstwhile White House advisor and once and future Breitbart warrior in his quest to deconstruct the administrative state.

Understanding Ukraine today is impossible without also understanding what the Soviet Union did to it in the 1930, says Anne Applebaum, author of Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine.

In a 10-minute conversation with The Bookmonger, Applebaum describes Stalin’s act of mass murder against the Ukrainian people, how knowledge of this enormity slowly seeped into the West, and how its aftereffects continue to influence Ukraine’s present confrontation with Russia.

Jon Gabriel (@ExJon) and Stephen Miller (aka @RedSteeze) welcome Bridget Phetasy (aka @BridgetPhetasy). She’s is a stand-up comedian, co-hosts the podcast “Benched,” and writes for for both Playboy and The Federalist. She shares her views on Hugh Hefner’s legacy from an insider’s perspective. Stephen and Jon then talk about the predictable reaction of the left to the Las Vegas shooting.

The intro/outro song is “The Last of the Famous International Playboys” by Morrissey. Stephen’s song of the week is “Doomed” by Moses Sumney and Jon’s is “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood” by Destroyer. To listen to all the music featured on The Conservatarians, subscribe to our Spotify playlist.

Jay pronounces Golda Schultz one of the world’s best interviewees – and that is an easy call to make. She is a young South African soprano, currently working at the Metropolitan Opera. Jay interviews her there. They talk about New York, South Africa, opera, Broadway, and life. Do you know Golda? You’ll want to.

Jim Geraghty of Natonal Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America sigh as liberal late night comedians demand new gun control legislation while getting their facts wildly wrong. They also react to reports that President Trump does not appear likely to embrace gun control efforts in the wake of the horrific attack in Las Vegas that killed dozens and wounded hundreds. And they shake their heads as White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney – a deficit hawk while in Congress – says he is embracing deficits as part of the emerging tax reform legislation.

Who were the Maya and what did they believe? Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos explains in Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya.

In a 10-minute conversation with The Bookmonger, Chinchilla describes what compelled him to devote his professional life to the study of these ancient people, what the images they put on vases and murals tells us about them, and why they become a “lost civilization.”

Ben Shapiro, the conservative writer and journalist, spoke at Berkeley last week. They spent $600,000 on security. For lil’ ol’ Ben? Yes. He spoke bravely and well. In this “Q&A,” he talks about the experience with Jay, and about higher education, the political temperature in America, health care, and some other things. This episode is a quick blast o’ Ben.

Jon Gabriel (@ExJon) and Stephen Miller (aka @RedSteeze) welcome Dave Smith — a stand-up comedian, radio personality, and political commentator. He’s a frequent guest on “The Greg Gutfeld Show” and “Kennedy” and also hosts the podcasts “Part of the Problem” and “The Legion of Skanks.” Dave just released a new comedy special called “Libertas” which you can watch on the GaS Digital Network.

The intro song is “It’s On” by BRONCHO. Stephen’s song of the week is “Seasons (Waiting on You)” by Future Islands and Jon’s is “Spent the Day in Bed” by Morrissey. To listen to all the music featured on The Conservatarians, subscribe to our Spotify playlist.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America enjoy watching Nancy Pelosi get drowned out by amnesty activists who think she and Chuck Schumer are not doing enough for people who are in the U.S. illegally. They also discuss the revelation that the feds did in fact wiretap former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort before and after the 2016 election. And they have no problem with President Trump referring to Kim Jong-Un as “Rocket Man,” given that decades of professional diplomatic statements have achieved so little.